Women can drink caffeinated coffee or tea without worrying that they've raising their risk of breast cancer, according to the latest analysis of the Nurses' Health Study.
In this large study of nurses, 85,987 women recorded their coffee, tea and caffeine intake for over two decades. New cases of breast cancer were analyzed in relation to caffeine intake.
When compared to those who drank less than one cup (250 ml) per day, no elevated risk of breast cancer was observed among women who drank more than four cups of coffee or tea per day.
There was also no association between breast cancer risk and other sources of caffeine - like soft drinks and chocolate.
These findings remained true after accounting for known risk factors of breast cancer such as age, smoking, body mass, alcohol intake and family history.
In Canada, one in nine women is expected to develop breast cancer during her lifetime. For more information about breast cancer risk and nutrition, check out Leslie Beck's Nutrition Guide for Women.
This study was published in the May 2008 issue of the International Journal of Cancer.
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